


In Mourning

by PhantomSpade



Category: Showdown Bandit (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, F/F, One Shot, Puppets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-11-28 15:03:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20968523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomSpade/pseuds/PhantomSpade
Summary: Lorelei deals with a lot of things, but she could never deal with Penny's loss of sanity.





	In Mourning

**Author's Note:**

> Showdown Bandit (c) Kindly Beast

Lorelei was used to morbid stuff. To her, it was necessary for her job as an undertaker. It was literally in her name, after all. 

Since the weirdness that invaded Showdown Valley, Lorelei had been a lot more busy than usual. The corpses were getting restless, going out of their graves when they weren't supposed to and causing trouble to the other puppets. She got so many complaints about the zombies to the point where it became part of her routine. It irritated her for a while, but she learned to get used to it. 

Still though, Lorelei was in agreement with the residents that something was wrong. 

Puppets began disappearing, along with the Stringless showing up. Some started losing their minds for some unexplained reason. All Lorelei knew was that it had to do with a new rule that everyone (including her) followed without question: don't look up. 

Lorelei got used to it as well. She has a role to play and if she wanted to keep at it, she had to adapt to the new situation. 

The one thing she couldn't get used to was not being able to help her partner. 

Penny, her sweet lover, had the misfortune of losing her marbles to the chaos that plagued their once peaceful town. One minute, she was her cheerful little self that provided everyone with her best wares. Now she was a shell of her former self, singing madly to herself and having gouged out her own eyes so she wouldn't look up. It was like she wasn't there anymore. 

Lorelei always kept a strong front. She usually guarded her own emotions. She tried to do whatever she could to keep everything under control. But Penny being mentally gone left a feeling a heartbreak locked up inside her. 

With the show going off the rails, Lorelei could only move on. Yet, a part of her longed for Penny to come back. She missed her melodious singing, her red curls, her kindness, and every little detail about her. 

She didn't know what to do. She felt helpless and hopeless. Penny could be long gone. 

* * *

Lorelei sat on a small crate, gazing at the little bluebell in her wooden hand with somberness. The flower was the last thing Penny had given to her before she gone mad. It even had a yellow ribbon tied around it, one that looked like Penny's bow. 

"Ah, hello Miss Undertaker! A-Are you taking a break?" 

The dark-haired puppet didn't need to look up to know who it was. She had almost forgotten that Banker was at one of his posts. 

"Yeah, I already put the dead in for tonight...They might've risin up, but Bandit took care of 'em for me." 

Banker chuckled nervously as he clasped his hands. He was always such a timid fellow, but Lorelei understood his anxiety. With the Stringless running around and the mysterious Faceless Bandit going about, one coulkd never be too careful. 

"I see that you are thinking about Miss Hemsworth, if I'm not mistaken." 

If Lorelei had any facial muscles, she would've made a bitter smile at the doctor's observation. He could mend the strings attached to their bodies, but as far as she could believe, he couldn't mend broken hearts. 

"O-Oh yes, that's right. I-It has been a while since I've seen Miss Hemsworth. I t-truly offer you my greatest sympathy, Miss Undertaker." 

Lorelei could only let out a bitter laugh, feeling slightly grateful for Banker's attempt at comforting her. She was tempted to pluck off the petals, but decided that she didn't want to ruin something so precious to her. 

"That's just how it is, Banker. That's how things work around here now." 

It was something that Lorelei had told herself after everything changed. It was also something to keep herself through the dark times, especially to deal with losing Penny. Yet, she knew she was just ignoring her pain. 

"A broken heart is not one to be easily fixed. Miss Hemsworth may be beyond saving, Miss Undertaker." 

Doc Carver's blunt words felt like they could cut her strings off. A sense of melancholy hung over her, her grip loosening up to let the flower fall to the floor without a sound. She had long accepted her home becoming a dangerous place, but a part of her couldn't accept that her beloved Penny couldn't be saved. 

But there was nothing else she could do. All she could do now was continue to play her part and watch Bandit do his work. 

Banker seemed to sense her gloominess and stumbled out some reassuring words. "M-Maybe Bandit might be able to help Miss Hemsworth! A-All is not lost, Miss Undertaker, so w-worry not!" 

It was rare for someone to offer some compassionate words for Lorelei. Especially in such a hopeless situation they were in right now. Still, it was always nice to have a bit of positivity. In a way, it reminded her of Penny. 

Sighing, Lorelei stood up from her seat and picked up her flower. She looked at it closely, making sure that it was still in good shape after the drop. When she found no damage, she carefully tucked it under her hat, making sure that it was safe. 

"Well fellas, I need to get back to work. I gotta make sure Bandit's not strayin' from the act. Don't tell 'im that y'all saw me." 

With a small wave, Lorelei walked away to the next area. Suddenly, she heard familiar giggling echoing in the room. Lorelei had a second to locate the source, looking up towards a balcony and seeing a bright-colored figure just leaving out of her sight. 

Lorelei just sighed sadly and resumed walking. She briefly pondered on Banker's words, musing the possibility of Bandit saving her lover. 

She shook her head from the thought. She had a job to do, and she needed to focus. The only thing she could hope for was the answer to whatever was causing the sudden madness to Showdown Valley. 

But perhaps...she could also hope for a way to bring Penny back. 


End file.
